Groundwater Scientist

About

Located on the eastern coast of the North Island, this employer plays a vital role in ensuring sustainable development, water quality, land use planning, and conservation initiatives. Receiving around 2,200 hours of annual sunshine, the Hawke's Bay is known as one of NZ's sunniest regions whilst also boasting a vibrant vineyard, art deco architecture, and hugely scenic landscape!

This employer focuses on environmental protection, flood control, regional planning, and promoting economic growth while preserving the region's unique natural heritage. With a commitment to community engagement and collaboration, they strives to address the diverse needs of its residents and safeguard the region's environmental well-being for current and future generations. And this is where you come in...

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About the role
As part of the Environmental Science team, the role of the Groundwater Scientist is responsible for supporting the development of the council’s groundwater programs and providing strategic direction to the management of groundwater resources in Hawke’s Bay region.

This role will see you:

• Undertake field and research investigations to assist with characterising groundwater systems, reducing uncertainty and assisting with the development of resource management plans.
• Produce technical reports, present findings, and provide advice to a range of stakeholders, including, when required providing expert evidence in relation to hearings and enforcement proceedings.
• Procure contractors, manage budgets and, co-ordinate and mentor staff

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Skills & Experience
They're are seeking someone with specific experience in groundwater analysis and ideally 3 years' minimum experience in a similar role or relevant industry. You will have a good understanding of the principles of groundwater flow and methodology, and you'll be a natural at solving complex and multi-objective problems.

Other key required skills include:

• Recognised tertiary qualification in an environmental science or engineering discipline, ideally with a specific hydrogeology post-graduate qualification.
• Knowledge of NZ (or country of origin) water resource management, including the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and the limit-setting process.
• Strong understanding of groundwater flow and transport mechanics, including interactions with surface water and the various methods available to investigate resulting physical and chemical changes.
• Experience designing regional groundwater monitoring networks to  support surface water and groundwater models, characterising groundwater systems and reporting on the state of the environment.
• Experience assessing activity impacts such as groundwater pumping, point-source, and diffuse discharges.
• An understanding and application of statistical methods used in water resources such as hypothesis and trend tests..
• Experience using GIS software such as ESRI or QGIS

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